Landmark O.C. restaurant Mr. Stox to close

Dec. 21, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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A view from Mr. Stox restaurant on the north side of Katella Avenue just west of State College Boulevard. Mr. Stox will close early next year. The Shopoff Group is developing the 5-acre site where the restaurant is located. MARK RIGHTMIRE, FILE PHOTO

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Each dining area has a distinct flair, but all are elegant, at Mr. Stox in Anaheim. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Mr. Stox has several elegant dining areas and a pianist who performs nightly. The landmark restaurant will close early next year to make room for a residential project. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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From left, Owners Debbie Marshall, her husband Ron and Ron's brother Chick Marshall attend to every detail at Mr. Stox, which they've owned since 1977. They are selling the two-acre restaurant site. CINDY YAMANAKA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

A view from Mr. Stox restaurant on the north side of Katella Avenue just west of State College Boulevard. Mr. Stox will close early next year. The Shopoff Group is developing the 5-acre site where the restaurant is located. MARK RIGHTMIRE, FILE PHOTO

"After 35 years, we're ready," said Marshall, whose family has owned Mr. Stox since 1977.

A plan to resurrect residential development in a section of Anaheim's Platinum Triangle has prompted the restaurant to exit the area. The Katella Avenue project dubbed Platinum Vista calls for 350 apartment homes. Marshall owns two acres within the project, which is being developed by Irvine-based The Shopoff Group.

In an exclusive interview with the Register, Marshall said the sale of the property to Shopoff is imminent. Though construction of the 5-acre site isn't slated to start until mid-2014, Marshall said he plans to close the restaurant in March.

He has no plans to relocate. At age 69, he's ready to retire after having survived one of the worst economic downturns to hit the restaurant industry.

"We're getting out of this with a lot of dignity," he said.

The ambitious 820-acre Platinum Triangle near Angel Stadium was approved in 2004 to include a mix of condos, cafes and shops. Over the years, some residential and commercial projects were built, but other projects never materialized. Before the real estate market crashed, Marshall said he had many suitors for the restaurant. At one point, he said Mr. Stox was slated to relocate and anchor the first floor of a multi-story tower.

Amidst all that, many of the restaurant's fans began to worry about its fate.

Marshall was always steadfast about sticking around. In 2006, he told the Register: "We're not talking to anyone."

Today, as more diners seek less formal, contemporary concepts, he said the timing was right to sell.

Mr. Stox was founded in 1968 by Harry and Maureen Fahnestock. The critically acclaimed restaurant, known for its classic American cuisine, primarily serves an older clientele that appreciates "fine dining," he said. In recent years, Marshall said he has had to cut staff as foot traffic and revenue declined.

"It's been rough," he said of the economic downturn. "We take a lot of pride in our restaurant. The economy has hurt. Having to go through this has been character-building."

When Mr. Stox closes, it will join a large number of white tablecloth institutions that have disappeared in Orange County. Others include La Vie en Rose in Brea, Tradition by Pascal in Newport Beach and The Riviera at the Fireside in Westminster.

"Closing the door is sad for our industry," Anaheim White House owner Bruno Serato said. "Quality of service and food was always a priority for that restaurant."

Joe Manzella, owner of The Catch in Anaheim, said Mr. Stox had a "hell of a run."

Early development at the Platinum Triangle forced Manzella to close The Catch in 2008. Two years later, he reopened the restaurant, popular with sports fans, a few blocks away on Katella Avenue.

"If we can get to 35-plus years, we've done something right," he said. "They've been an institution and a phenomenal name in service and quality, which we've all looked up to. We wish them the best."

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